


In Which...

by BesideTheDyingFangirl



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Angst, Developing Friendships, F/M, Fluff, Gen, Humor, Implied Relationships, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-28
Updated: 2017-02-21
Packaged: 2018-09-20 09:56:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9486152
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BesideTheDyingFangirl/pseuds/BesideTheDyingFangirl
Summary: Basically, this is a book of original SVU ficlets that will be unrelated to each other unless otherwise stated. Mainly Rafael/You, Sonny/You, and Rafael/Sonny.Also you should know I'm kind of a shitty writer. Nevertheless, comments and requests are welcome!





	1. Smokey and the Bandit

**Author's Note:**

> in which you have a fun first encounter at the skating rink with a handsome detective.

You didn't see why your friends wanted to go to the skating rink a couple of blocks from your appartment.  

"C'mon, Y/N. It'll be fun. It's the first of the month and if you win the competition your group gets free dinner for a month!" Your friend Kaycee said eagerly when your other friend chimed in.

"Yeah and your the best skater we know. Pleaaaaaaaase," they plead in unison and you chuckle. You had never been there before; what the hell.

"Alright, alright, I mean I know I am the literal queen of everything but stop begging, it's embarrassing," you tease and they cheer.

 

\--

 

"Wow," you say in awe looking at the rink. You had feared that it was going to be childish, a bunch of little kids skating but there was an open bar and surprisingly a ton of people. 

You all got your skates (you got quads because you were clumsy and they helped you keep your balance) and proceeded to put them on when a loud voice came over the intercom. "Attention skaters! It's almost midnight...you know what that means!" Your friends skated to the middle of the rink with a few others, leaving you confused of what the announcer meant. Someone must've sensed you were lost because a lady with brown hair skated up to you. 

"Are you new here?" she inquired kindly.

"Yeah, my friends ditched me. What happens at midnight?"

"Well, that's when the advanced skaters go to the rink for the competition. Are you advanced?" 

You stammered a bit, "Y-yeah, I guess."

She chuckled, "then you better get out there!" 

You smiled and nodded as she skated over to a gentleman lacing up his skates who looked quite intimidating.

Finding your friends, you gazed at them annoyed. "What was up with that, why'd you guys-"

"Alright, skaters, you know the rules. Once you've been hit, youre out! You can only take a break once! If you catch a ball, the person that threw it is out and you are still in! If youre caught cheating, youre out! And lastly, headshots call for immediate disqualification!" A whole bunch of dodge balls dropped from the ceiling scaffolding; you thought you would only be skating, not playing dodgeb-

"Ready...on your mark...get set...GO!" He shouted, and everyone went into a frenzy. You're friends ditched you again but at least you were fast on your feet. You weaved in and out of the line of fire, clutching a ball, avoiding random dodge balls being pelted at you. People were dropping like flies, and soon it was down to about 10 people including yourself. You decided it was a good time for a quick water break when the man you saw earlier skated up to you.

"Can I use your ball?" He asked.

"Depends...are you gonna hit me with it?"

"No," he laughed and you rolled it to him so you wouldn't be disqualified for him catching it.

"Thanks," he said and skated back to the rink. He was standing, looking like he was waiting for someone. Then, he threw the ball as hard as he could, hitting another man in the face. He had the most satisfied smirk on his face when he was disqualified and sent back to the break area. You chuckled as he was being scolded by the lady you had talked to earlier.

"Barba! What the hell! Why'd you do that to Carisi?!" 

He was still smirking. "He's been annoying all week, I needed to vent." 

"Well, I hope it was worth it, dick." 

"It was, don't worry." Even though she was scolding him, you could see a faint smile playing at her lips.

Shaking your head, you skate back to the middle: only 5 people are left.

There was one man who was responsible for taking out most of the people, the man who you now knew as Barba had hit. You skated fast behind him without his knowledge and picked up a ball, ready to defend yourself.

It was just you and him now, and sirens went off briefly, indicating an announcement.

"Alright alright alright," the announcer says, "Looks like we've got it narrowed down to two possible victors!"

The announcer guy skates up to you and the other man, coming between you both with a microphone. 

"State your nickname for the record, even though we know who you are, Mr. Undefeated!" He said enthusiastically holding up the microphone to the blonde haired man. 

"Sonny, brighter than the sun!" He said smiling as the crowd cheered. 

The announcer turned to you, "and your nickname?"

You panicked, you couldnt think of a nickname. Then suddenly you remembered what your parents used to call you.

"Uh, Bandit." Your favorite movie was Smokey and the Bandit, so ideally, your parents called you that. Another round of cheers erupted and the announcer clasped you both oN the shoulders.

"Well, Sonny, Bandit, shake hands now."

You skated up to Sonny, in complete and fell into utter shock at how gorgeous this man was. His bright blue eyes, friendly dimpled smile and tall figure almost made you go weak at the knees. He held out his hand.

"Good luck, Bandit. I promise, I won't hit you hard," He smirked and you gently took his hand and shook it.

"I don't need luck. There's a reason I'm called the 'Bandit', I can outrun anything" you wink with a sudden wave of confidence and he smiles wider, eyes twinkling. 

"You two, retreat to your corners and wait for the signal!"

You did as told and readied your stance: you planned on ducking his throws, you werent very good with aim so you had another plan- tire him out, then attack.

As you were waiting for the signal, you heard your friends cheering and also Barba, who happened to tell you to "kick his ass, Bandit!"

The sirens went off and Sonny hastened overy to you ready to strike but you dodged him. The crowd went crazy and you felt confident again. Pleasantly for you, someone DJing understood your nickname reference and played the song East Bound and Down from the movie. You found yourself singing along to it.

_East Bound and Down, loaded up and truckin_

Sonny was coming up fast and furious and you did a sharp right turn into the break area. He followed behind and you continued.

_We gonna do what they say can't be done_

He threw the ball, narrowly missing your right hip. You cut left again back into the rink.

_We've got a long way to go, and a short time to get there, I'm east bound.._

You moved your feet faster and faster, Sonny losing his speed but still eyeing you. You stopped dead in your tracks, waited for him to catch up, and when he did - ball in hand- you spun around him just in time and touched his shoulder with the ball you were carrying.

" _Just watch old bandit run_ ," you finished and everyone lost it. You had won.  The announcer raises your arm in victory as the crowd continued to cheer. You turned to Sonny who had already been looking at you and gave him a warm smile. He smiled back and you skated back to your friends. "I knew you'd win, Y/N! You rocked it!"

Your friends praised you and Barba and the woman came up to you too. "I personally wanted to thank you for decrowning Sonny. He's so-" 

"Rafael, that's enough."

"But Liv-" She cut him off and smiled at you. "Nice work! Not many people can out skate him!" 

"Thanks!" You begin to take off your skates, tired from an evening of fun. You were making small talk with your friends when Kaycee nudged your shoulder, tilting her head behind you.

"Y/N, Sonny's coming!" she whispered and you turned around to meet him walking up to you.

"Youre one helluva skater," he said, dimples still prominent from his smile. "Thanks, I had alot of practice when I was younger, you are too!" 

"Thanks." You guys lock eyes for what seems like an eternity before he clears his throat and chuckles.

"Where are my manners, I haven't formally introduced myself," he joked. "Detective Dominick Carisi. But you can still call me Sonny." 

"No way...you're a cop?" You say astonished and his smile drops in worry.

"Uh..yeah...is that a bad thing?" He scratches the back of his neck, but you quickly reassure him.

"No no no or course not! It's just that... I'm nicknamed the Bandit and you're a Smokey!" 

Realization falls on his face and he let's out a loud laugh, one that wholeheartedly warms you up.  You smile as his laughter dies down.

"'Smokey and the Bandit', I get it now. I was worried you didn't like cops or something," he chuckles.

"Don't be silly, I love cops. I even have a soft spot for Buford T. Justice," you say in the heaviest southern accent you can muster, causing Sonny to laugh again.

"That sumbitch couldn't close an umbrella!" Sonny said, quoting the movie and this time you laughed.  Once your laughter had died down, you noticed Sonny was looking at you again with a small smile.

"I didn't get your real name, Bandit."

"It's Y/N. Y/N Y/L/N."


	2. I Think I'll Keep Her

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ...in which Rafael Barba suddenly becomes a father.

"You aren't allergic to cats, are you?" You asked Barba before stepping outside the courthouse into the brisk winter air. You both were ADAs and quite good friends, and somehow you misplaced notes for the Lakes case. You dreaded the thought of the 30 plus evidence boxes currently occupying your living area. He was coming over to your appartment to help you sort it out.

"No, I don't think so."

Tightening your peacoat as you two walked down the steps and to the parking garage, you further inquired.

"You don't think so? How do you not know?"

"Because I've never had a cat, never really been around cats, genius," he sassed and you rolled your eyes.

"Well, I've got a kitten, her name is Penelope and she's the cutest fluffiest little thing you'll ever see. Ever," you declare climbing into your car as Barba climbs into his.

"Fascinating," he says sarcastically.

 

\--

 

Since your elevator was under repair, you two had to climb all the way up to your floor. It was tiring, but Barba grumbling about how "it's 2017, why isn't there escalators in apartment buildings yet" made you laugh.

"We are here," you huff as you pull out your keys and make your way to your apartment, the last one on the right. 

You flick on the lights but don't see your little fluff ball, so you decide to do her call:

"Boom boom boom! Lemme hear you say 'Wayo!'"

Barba looked at you like you were stupid. "What are you doing, Y/N?"

Before you can answer, little Penelope trots over to you meowing something that resembled 'wayo'. She was too cute.

"Hi nelly-welly! Mommy missed you!" You greeted her purring little self as Barba followed you inside shrugging his coat off. You turned to Barba.

"Nel, this is Barba. Don't worry, he's not as mean as he looks," you tease and he scoffs, a small smile on his lips. You set the kitten down and she goes off to have her dinner.

"Where do you want to work at? Table or couch?"

"Table is fine."

 

\--

 

It's been almost 4 gruesome hours sorting through each case file and you were getting kind of hungry.

"I'm starved, I'm gonna make some homemade soup. Want some?" You ask getting up and taking out the necessary ingredients to make genuine chicken soup.

"Sure."

Barba was still scribbling down notes off the checklist when you heard a distinct high-pitched 'meow'. You turned and saw Penelope sitting patiently at his feet. Her bright blue eyes pondering the man in front of her curiously and his bright green eyes doing the same to her.

"She wants attention, Raf," you chuckle and he sets his pen down, fully turning to the little feline. She meows louder and Barba smiles a small smile, picking her up. He strokes her little head and she nuzzles herself into his neck, tickling him with her tiny whiskers and the vibration of her purrs.

An idea comes in your head.

"Barba, does your apartment building allow pets?" 

He looks up from Penelope to you and nods, but then realizes what you're getting at.

"No. No. No, absolutely not. I'm not taking her back home with me," he says adamantly but you plead.

"Please, Rafael! I found her in a dumpster all alone. I got her all cleaned up, all her shots are taken care of. My landlord gave me 30 days to find her a home or she has to go to the shelter. We both know what happens at those shelters, Raf." 

"Why don't you ask Sonny? Or Amanda? I'm sure they'd take her?" He offered and you shook your head.

"I've asked everyone I know that would give her a good home. No one can. Please? Pleaaaaaase??" 

He seems to be begrudgingly considering it, and you go in with your closing arguments.

"You can't say no to thay face. Look at her, shes adorable," you coo and he looks back up at you. He looks at you, then her, then you again and sighs.

"Fine. But it's only temporary. You have to promise you'll keep looking because this isn't permanent!"

You squeal knowing good and well Penelope has got Rafael wrapped around her paw already. 

"Yay! Nel, you hear that? This is your daddy!"

"I'm not her daddy."

"You're going home with daddy! You be good for daddy, you hear?" You tease and he rolls his eyes yet again.

 

\--

 

Rafael arrived back at his apartment with Penelope and her belongings. He gently set her down on the floor and put her kitty bed on a chair next to the fireplace. He set up her litter box and food and water nearby since she didnt know the layout of his place and he didnt want her getting lost. He scratched his neck and the two stared at each other.

He cleared his throat. "Well, this is your new home. For now, at least," he clarified. She cocked her head to the side. "You sleep here," he said, pointing to her bed. "Your food and water is right there. So is your Potty." He mentally facepalmed because what grown man calls a litter box a potty. She meowed. He checked his watch. Almost midnight. Rubbing his face, he sighed and picked up the kitten and set her down in her baby pink bed. 

"Alright. I'm gonna go to bed. It's late...so I guess that means it's bedtime for you too." She meows.

"Um, night," he said awkwardly and shuffled to his room.

 

\--

 

Rafael had almost fell asleep. Almost.

A loud meow sounded from the side of his bed. He put a pillow over his face.

_Meow._

_Meow._

_Meow._

_Meow._

Finally, Rafael couldn't take it any more and sat up and peered down at the little chatter box.

"You're supposed to be in your bed, Nel."

 _Meow_.

He kicked the covers off of him and picked up Nel, carrying her back to her bed and tucking her in like a baby. God only knew if his friends saw how literally pussywhipped he is by this kitten.

"You sleep here, Nel. Goodnight," he stroked her little ears before retreating back to his room and into his bed.

Not even 10 minutes later, he hears the infamous 'meow' next to his bed. How can such a small creature be so loud? 

' _Maybe if I ignore it she'll stop' he thinks_.

Meow.

 _Meow_.

"Dios mio, please for the love of all things sanctified," he mutters to himself and her meows get louder, almost desperate.

_Meow._

_Meow._

_Meow._

_Meow._

_Meow._

_'Dare I even look at the clock?_ '

"Alright, alright," he said finally giving in to look down at the kitten perched on the floor. "What's wrong, cariño? Why are you being so noisy? Hmm?" 

She lifts her paws up at him and he swings his arm over the edge of the bed, gently picking her up and setting her next to him.She instantly starts purring.

He chuckles tiredly. "You wanted to sleep up here with me, huh?" Penelope meows a quieter content response and settles herself in the crook of Rafael's neck, instantly falling asleep. Rafael is lulled by the sounds of her purring and quickly falls asleep, too.

 

\--

 

You had been helping Sonny with a case in you and Barba's shared office when Rafael walked in, greeting you both. 

"How was your first night home with her?" You asked Rafael and Sonny almost spit out his coffee. 

"She was loud, but I think I'll keep her," he replied nonchalantly and a knowing look spread across your face. Sonny had an outrageously bewildered look on his face.

"You love her," You grin, and he looks at you, fighting a grin of his own.

"Stop smiling at me like that."

"I knew it! You do have a heart!" 

Sonny continues to look confused during your exchange.

"What is going on?" Sonny inquired quizically, and you took this opportunity to mess with him and Barba.

"Barba is a daddy now!" You say and this time Sonny _does_ spit out his coffee. Barba just looks at you unimpressed.

"What?! Counselah, that's great, congratulations! I didn't even know you had a girlfriend!" 

"What's your new babygirl's name? How much does she weigh?" Sonny questioned excitedly and Barba decides to play along, much to your enjoyment.

"Penelope, and I'd say somewhere around 3/4s of a lb." You'd stifle a laugh and Sonny's smile drops dramatically.

"3/4s of a lb? Wow, man. That's not good. Is she a premie? Is she okay? How did she-"

"Before you start crying about my hypothetical underweight baby daughter, you should know shes actually a kitten, Sonny." 

Sonny blinks and looks between the two of you repeatedly.

"Wait what?"

 


	3. Traffic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ...in which you and Rafael bicker like an old married couple and Sonny and Amanda are living for it. 
> 
> [Note] reference to a scene from the movie Kingdom Come

The truth is you were mad at Rafael. You two were supposed to be a team - codependent on one another. He's been dismissive of you all week, treating you like you didn't know how to properly do your job. All that needed to be done today was discuss a possible deal in play for a serial rapist at Attica who was prepared to give names on a sex trafficking ring, but Rafael being the 'head honcho' he always is barely let you get a word in. In fact, in so many words, he told you to quit talking like you were a child interrupting a parent teacher conference. Yeah, you thought he was being too stingy with his deal, afraid the prisoner wouldn't accept because it wasn't good enough, so you expressed it to him (not in front of said deal-ee of course). Sonny and Amanda could sense the tension as soon as you exited the interview room, arms crossed and lips tight in annoyance, but they didn't dare say a word. Turns out you were right, the prisoner "needed to confer with his lawyer", meaning no, he wouldn't be taking the deal. Rafael said nothing as you all filed into his car, Sonny and Amanda in the back and you in the passengers. You wanted to be outright and tell him he should've listened to you, should've taken you seriously but you decided to have a bit of fun on the way back. Traffic was horrible, and it was at a standstill. Rafael put the car in park and sighed, rubbing his temples.

You pressed the station button, turning it to a showtunes station where Skid Row from Little Shop of Horrors was playing.

"Oooooh! I love this song! _Alaaaaaarrrrrm goes off at seven! And you start uptowwwwwn.._." You sing, hearing the two blonde detectives giggling in the back and looking at Rafael who was less than pleased.

"Y/N, plea-"

" _You put in your 8 hours, for the powers that have alwaaaays beeeen! SING IT CHILD_!" Amanda laughed loudly and you turned fully to Rafael just to piss him off more.

" _Till its five P_ \- hey, why'd you change the station?! That was the best part!" 

"No one wants to hear musical numbers at this point in the day, Y/N." Rafael raised his eyebrow to display his annoyance, and you turned around.

"Sonny, was my singing annoying you?" you inquired and he shook his head.

"No, its entertaining," he chuckled and you turned to Amanda, this time Barba turning around, too.

"Sonny is biased because hes easily amused," he said and Sonny scoffed. "Amanda, what about you?" Barba asked and she looked between the two of you, stifling a grin.

"Don't look at me, I'm not choosing sides."

You and Barba looked at each other and you flipped your hair before Barba put on an oldies station. You took that as a challenge.

It was in the middle of ' _The Way You Do the Things You Do_ ' by the Temptations when you pressed the tune button, changing it back to your station, only ' _I'm Going Home_ ' was playing. You began singing along again and the look Barba gave you almost made you laugh. _Almost_. 

He changed it back to his station, neither of you breaking eye-contact. You clicked the button once more, the car filled with music from the Rocky Horror Picture Show.

"Stop it."

He clicked it back to his station.

"No."

You clicked it back to your station.

"Yes!"

Click.

"No."

Click.

"YES!"

Click.

"Uh-uh." You winked and clicked it back to yours yet again.

"Y/N. Stop." He said rather calmly through gritted teeth.

"Why should I?"

"I am not in the mood for this. Just let me listen to the Temptations."

You pretended to ponder his request but you grinned widely: "Nah." And you clicked it back.

Rafael blinked at you rapidly and then pressed his station back and rips the dial nob off so you can't change it.

"Hah! The Temps got the nob!" He says triumphantly and you reach across his lap to the ignition, turning the car off and grabbing his keys.

If your music wouldnt be playing, _no_ music would be playing.

"Well Frank N. Furter got the car keys!" 

Sonny and Amanda are dying of silent laughter in the back. 

"Give me my keys, Y/N!"

"No!"

"Now!"

"No!"

"This is _my_  fucking car, Y/N. I can kick you out right here if you want to act like a child."

" _Me_ act like a child? _You_ were acting like a child at the prison. You've been acting like a child all week! And go ahead, kick me out. I'll take these goddamn keys with me, so help me god."

Rafael angrily unbuckled his seatbelt and tried reaching for his keys.

"Boy, if you- I'll scream! Try me!" You say testily and he moves back to his seat begrudgingly.

He grumbles out a frustrated moan and traffic begins to move.

"What do you want me to do? You want me to beg?" 

"I want an apology."

He looks at you as if you asked for a million dollars.

"I have nothing to apologize for." He says as if its obvious, and you face forward.

Traffic is moving and people are starting to honk.

"Give me the keys. I'll even say please." You ignore him, still facing forward.

"Please."

You fold your arms defiantly.

"Fine, I'm sorry I've been treating you bad lately! I've just been really stressed out lately and when I'm stressed I tend to push people away when they try and help."

You look at him and see its genuine.

"Forgive me?" You smile a small smile and hand him the keys.

"Awwww, looks like mom and dad made up!" Amanda coos teasingly and you turn around to tell her to shut up, only to be greeted with her phone in your face.

"You recorded us?!"

"You have 10 seconds to delete it," Rafael warns looking in the rear view mirror at Amanda.

"Too late, Counselah! Already sent it to the Lieu! Its uploading to YouTube right now," he laughs and Rafael shoots daggers at Carisi.

"I hope for your sake you're joking because I will end you, Detective." He declares only half serious. Sonny and Amanda brush off the threat with a chucke.

"The Lieu asked when exactly you two got married!" Amanda says cherrily reading out the text and you groan. Weeks of taunting from the squad was sure to follow. _Maybe you shouldn't have started this._

"In case you wanna watch the video, the title is 'mommy and daddy ADA push each others buttons'" Sonny says as face turns read from laughing too hard.

"This is your fault," Rafael mumbles lightheartedly and you crack a smile.


	4. The Gala

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ...in which you help a friend ask another friend to the Gala. 
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> Rafael/Sonny

"What if he says no?" Rafael asks worriedly while pacing the carpet of your shared office. You roll your eyes.

"Raf, he worships the ground you walk on. The dude's got heart eyes for you." You reassured him and you swore you saw a light blush spread across his cheeks. It was an odd sight, Rafael nervous to ask Sonny to the Gala. Then again, one rarely ever sees Barba in any other state except confident.

"Well, what if he is going with someone else? Amanda is single, they're friends, maybe the-" 

"Would you shut up? I'll ask him, just sit down before you pass out, Barba." He complies and fiddles with his fingers. You had never noticed how head over heels Barba is for Sonny. Though, how could anyone see that? He constantly was throwing disses and snide remarks Sonny's way like a person trying to shrug a humping chiuahuah off their leg. I guess that was what Barba did to protect his feelings out of fear of rejection or vulnerability. Hell, he was a District Attorney, he'd be damned if someone caught him in a compromising position.

You take out your phone, tapping your chin trying to think of something nonchalant to say. You yourself weren't very good at hints so it was quite a challenge, but settled on a friendly but inquisitive sentence: _Having a hard time picking out a dress for the Gala, LOL. Are you going?_

A 'whoosh' sound indicated the message was sent and you heard Barba sigh. 

"Idunno why you're so worried. You two clearly like each other," you say getting up and sitting on the edge of his desk.

"Yes but, in case you haven't noticed, I have a hard time communicating my feelings properly. What if my being so...insolent...towards Sonny made him hate me? He _has_ been coming by a lot less..." He trails off and you shake your head. You hated seeing your best friend so worried. You were about to tell him how ridiculous he's being when your phone buzzed in your lap, both you and Rafael looking up. 

_What is it with girls and dresses, haha! And I don't know, I don't have a date yet._

You gasp excitely handing the phone for Rafael to see, lightly poking his arm and him swatting you away. 

"He doesn't have a date, Rafi!"

"I can see that, Y/N. I have eyeballs." There was Rafael's signature sarcasm. He's back and feeling confident- just a tad bit more. You took your phone back and began texting him.

"What are you doing?" 

"Telling Sonny to come here so you can ask him." Rafael almost choked on his coffee.

"Y/N don't t-"

"Don't worry, I'm gonna tell him to come get the paperwork Liv left here. I won't ruin your precious moment," you said and he visibly relaxed.

_I'm sure you'll find one :) Can you come by soon to pick up some paperwork?_

Not a minute after you sent the text, Sonny replied.

_Maybe. And sure, OMW now._

You took this moment to ask Rafael what exactly he was so nervous about. The worse thing Carisi could say is no, and even then you would take Rafael as your date along with your boyfriend. 

He chewed on his cheek before answering. "When I was in highschool, senior prom was coming up and my mamí said I had to take someone. So, I asked Yelina- we were talking at the time, not quite yet dating. She looked at me with pity and told me she was going with Alex- my best friend. It hurt really bad because he knew how much I liked her. Now they're married and have kids," he says dully and you place a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Well, it was her loss." He looks up at you and smiles. A sudden knock and the turning of the doorknob interrupt the two of you and a tall, lanky detective walks in.

"Hey counselahs. How's it going?" He greets smiling and you return to your desk, but not before giving Rafael a look of encouragement.

"Fine, and yourself?" Barba responds and Carisi looks taken aback, he was expecting an insult or at the very least sarcasm.

"Uh, I'm good. Thanks for askin'." You do your best to stay quiet to let Rafael work his magic, but clueless Carisi doesn't sense the nervousness in the room and starts asking law questions.

"Hey, Barba, I was wondering about the Tort rule. If FITTED CAB had a loophole, it would be lack of proof of conversion, right?" He inquires curiously, his thick Staten Island accent filling the room. Barba smirked as he hands the paperwork to him and you knew he was about to say something snarky and possibly rude about Carisi's education at Fordham Law. You had to act fast.

"Barba has so-"

"Shut u-"

"Barba-"

"Y/N, st-". 

"BARBA HAS SOMETHING HE WANTS TO ASK YOU, SONNY." You blurt before you can take it back and Rafael looks like he might strangle you, or faint, or both. Sonnys face is feigning confusion as he looks you both over.

"What is it, counselah?" Sonny asks, hands on his hip, eyeballing Barba as he sits back down at his desk entertiwining his fingers. He clears his throat and sits up straight.

"U-uh, yeah," he stammers. "Well, I mean...I was uh...I was wondering if..." Carisi's lips turn at the smallest hint of smile as Barbs picks imaginary lint off of his expensive vest.

"The Gala is next weekend and... If you think it's lame then-"

"I'd love to go with you," Sonny interrupts, smiling wide.

"I understand, of course you think its lame, it- wait, what?" Barba sputters and you giggle, pretending not to listen.

"I said I'd love to go with you. To the Gala. You and me," Sonny says softly and Rafael looks a mixture of happy, relieved, and prideful. 

"Great!" Barba says excitedly but thinks he sounded overly excited and adds, "sounds good."

"Maybe we could get drinks afterwards?" Carisi suggests and Barba finds himself nodding in a trance.

"Yeah, absolutely." 

You 'aww' quietly and they're too busy looking into one another's eyes to notice until Carisi's phone chimes.

"Ah, thatll be the Lieu wanting me back at the station. I'll, um, text you later?"

Barba nods again with a smile as Carisi waves goodbye to you and heads to the door.

"Sonny." Barba calls out and Sonny turns around shocked that he called him his nickname (little did he know _Sonny_ was all Raf could talk about).

"Yeah?"

"Its 'you and I'." Rafael corrected.

"Huh?"

"Earlier, when you said you'd go to the gala with me, you said 'you and me'. Its 'you and I'," he smirks and a grin spreads across Sonny's face.

"Tomato _tomato_." Sonny retorts and smiles once more at Rafael before exiting the office. Rafael bites his lip smiles to himself as he sits back down in his chair. He notices you staring at him, a knowing grin evident on your face.

"What?"

"Oh nothing, just want to make sure I'm a grooms maid at your wedding." You tease and he throws a pen at you, chuckling.

You were glad to see Rafael so happy and at ease. You all knew this wasn't _just_ a gala, this was the precursor to a beautiful relationship for Sonny and Rafael.

 


	5. Mayeux

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [REQUESTED] 
> 
> ...in which a creole southern bell named Sarah transfers to the Manhattan District Attorneys Office and meets her colleagues.
> 
> Might be part of a series, let me know what you think.

It had always been her dream to work in the big city. She loved the Bayou, don't get her wrong, but she just wanted a change. The DAs office in Louisiana was drying up for her, so she sent out transfer papers to Manhattan, waiting with anxiousness for the results.

It took about two weeks for the response to come in. She was sure she had been denied, but when she opened the letter, she everything but fainted.

She was going to New York.

 

\-----

 

She had been texting with the Lieutenant of the squad she was assigned to work with. Lieutenant Olivia Benson of the Special Victims Unit was giving her a brief overview of her squad when she suggested you all meet up.

 _Hey, since you're new to Manhattan, why don't you text me when you get settled in and we can grab dinner with the squad? That way we can get to know each other before you start on Monday_.

She smiled down at the text, warm from Benson's kindness. She could already tell she was going to like it her. She texted back promptly: _Sounds good, thanks_! 

 

\-----

 

"Now where did I put my- oh, here it is!" Sarah chuckled as she found her wallet. She had just finished unpacking her belongings into her new apartment. It already felt like home, what with her many family photos hung on the walls and her special trinkets from New Orleans she had from when she was a little girl. She looked around her new place, striding up to a window and gazing at the skyline. _Man, this is a lot different from back home._

Back home.

Was she already feeling homesick? She _did_ leave almost everyone behind when she left, but they assured her to _go, live your dream, make a life for yours_ elf. Rest assured, she may have left _The Big Easy_ , but _The Big Easy_ would never leave her; not truly. She sighed and grabbed her phone, looking at the name and address of the bar they all were meeting at. She looked at a picture of her late father on her mantle.

"Well daddy, here goes nothin'..."

 

\-----

 

It was around 6 that Sarah pulled up to this rather fancy looking bar in a cab. She instantly got hit with a wave nervousness. She lingered outside for a moment, pondering how dumb it would be to fake illness and go home.

What if they don't like me?

What if I embarrass myself?

What if this was a mistake?

"Oh for Christ's sake, pull yourself together. Your mama didn't raise no wimp," she mumbled to herself taking a breath and walking inside.

Immediately the smell of food wafted into her nostrils. She looked around at all of different people, chatting away happily and enjoying their beverages. She walked in further and pulled out her phone, checking the time. A sudden tap on her shoulder brought her out of her trance of wondering if the onion rings were worth trying.

"Excuse me, are you Sarah?" She swivelled around and was met with a pair of warm brown eyes. 

"Y-yeah, I'm Sarah Mayeux. Lieutenant Benson?" She inquire and Benson nods, sticking her hand out for her to shake.

"Call me Liv. Nice to finally meet you!"

"Likewise," she smiles and Benson leads her to the table. Sarah sees three other people stand up awaiting her arrival, all with greeting smiles. This must be her squad. She smooths her skirt and forms a smile.

"Hi, I'm Sarah Mayeux, wonderful to meet you all!" An older gentlemen with an earing grasps Sarah's hand for a proper shake. "Odafin Tutuola, call me Fin."

Next, a pretty blonde woman smiles warmly at her and introduces herself. "Hi, Sarah, I'm Amanda Rollins. Itll be nice havin' another southern bell around here," she winks and everyone chuckles. She turned to the last person standing, a tall blue-eyed detective with sandy blonde hair. _They don't make 'em like this back home_ , she thought. 

"Dominick Carisi Jr.," he says with a heavy Staten Island Accent, "but you can call me Sonny." His dimple smile made her heart flutter and she blushed as everyone sat back down. 

She had almost forgotten- she had yet to meet the man she would be co-prosecuting with. "Hey Liv, where's Barbara?" She asked and everyone sniggered. Liv stifled a smirk.

"You mean 'Barba'?" Sarah gave a sheepish 'oops' and Liv continued. "I don't know that he's coming, Sarah. To be honest, something happened today during a case involving Lucy and Ethel over here," she said pointing to Sonny and Amanda, causing Fin to laugh, "and he's been in a sour mood since."

"Barba was born in a sour mood," Amanda said, sipping her cocktail.

"Not true," Fin interjected, "he's usually in a good mood after picking on Carisi," he nudged Carisis shoulder, earning an eyeroll from the young detective.

 _Great_ , she thought, _I'm going to be working with a human form of Grumpy Cat. I bet he's old and crotchety_. 

"So, 'Mayeux'...is that French?" Sonny inquired with glinting eyes and she sipped her water.

"French Creole, actually," she corrected and Amanda perked up.

"Where are you from, again?"

"New Orleans, born and raised," Sarah says smiling, her thick bayou accent shining through. 

"Oh that's cool, I've always wanted to go there! I heard its amazing," Amanda says excitedly and Sarah nods.

"Y'all should see it during Marti Gras. Live music, genuine Cajun cookin', and Madam Bayou performs- whoever gets picked that year. Its really cool." Sarah says passionately as the group listens. 

Sonny looks at her while she speaks, taking in her curly cinnamon hair, light green eyes and toffee colored skin. She really is beautiful. 

"It sounds amazing," Liv smiles and Sarah nods.

Fin was about to ask a question about what Cajun food is exactly when a rather angry looking man storms in and walks up to the table. He nods an acknowledgment at Liv, "Lieutenant," he turns to Fin: "Sergeant." His nostrils flare as he sets his sights on Amanda and Sonny, completely disregarding the other person at the table. Barba sits down next to Sarah sandwiching her between he and Liv, not bothering to take his eyes off of the two detectives who were squirming under his glare.

It was awkward. Sarah didn't know whether to introduce herself just to ease the tension or to just sit and let it play out. The latter would be decided for her.

"Before you say anything, I apolo-" Barba cuts Sonny off.

"The judge threw the case out." A look of shock spread across the table.

"What?! On what grounds?" Olivia says in astonishment and Barba shakes his head. "He said - and I quote - 'that blonde detective was flirting, _literally_ , with coersion. That doesn't fly in my courtroom.'"

Sarah heard Fin mumble _this is some bullshit_ before Sonny chimed in. 

"Pertruccio has it out for you, Barba. Has ever since you took that one case of rape by misidentification." 

Barba chuckled. "Wow, Carisi, a real detective you are." Sonny looked undignified and furrowed his brows. Olivia clutched the bridge of her nose, _here we go_. The tension was growing and Sarah was beginning to feel out of place. 

"Look, counselah, I said sorry for snapping at you like that."

"I don't care that you 'snapped' at me, I'm not a child whose sad because they got scolded, It pisses me off that you don't think I can do my job!" 

"I never said you couldn't do y-"

"Oh look! Onion rings!" Sarah blurts as the waiter brings the tray of rings to the booth, trying to end the bickering. Everyone just looks at her. Frowns quickly turn into smirks and laughter. Sarah felt Barba eyeing her, but she didn't dare turn to meet his gaze.

"Who are you?" He asked as if she just appeared right next to him.

Then she did turn to meet him. Holy hell, this man was fiii-iiine. Her idea of an old crotchetty lawyer was shattered in an instant. Why is everyone in Manhattan so attractive?

"Sarah Mayeux. The new ADA," she says sipping her drink. 

He smirked, "Rafael Barba, District Attorney."

 

\-----

 

A couple of hours later, the argument had long since been forgotten, and Sarah was getting to know her colleagues more. They all all asked her questions about her life back home and she asked questions about life in the borough. Sarah checked the time and almost forgot that she was supposed to check in with her folks back home. She interrupted the friendly banter: "Uh, guys, its getting late, I better hit the road." All of them looked disappointed but nodded understandingly. "I'll see y'all on Monday. Nice meetin' y'all," she said and turned to Barba. "Nice meetin' ya too, Mr. Barba," she stuck out her hand for a formal handshake, since she didn't get the chance to shake his hand earlier. He obliged, and Sarah gave one last wave to the group and left.

"Ok, so, what do we think of her?" Amanda asked once Sarah was out of earshot.

"I like her, she's nice." Liv smiled and Fin chuckled.

"Sonny likes her too, on account of the drool coming out of his mouth," Fin teases and Sonny playfully hits his arm.

"You know nothin'" Sonny says and Amanda laughs loudly.

"You're eyes were practically out of your head when she walked away."

"Ain't no shame in likin' a sistah," Fin jokes and Sonny puts the drink to his lips with a smirk mumbling something like _I don't discriminate when it comes to the ladies_.

"Sonny wasn't the only one ogling her all night, right Counselor?" Olivia nudges Barba's arm and he tries to fiegn shock.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Oh, c'mon, you were falling for that deep southern accent hard, Barba. You laughed at everything she said. _You don't laugh_." 

"Not to mention she's intelligent. And fricken gorgeous," Amanda adds and Liv laughs.

"Looks like you and Sonnyboy will have to duel for her affections, Raf," Liv says, clasping her friend on his shoulder.

"He can try. But he'll fail," Barba says snidely, a chorus of hollers breaking out across the table.

 

 

 


	6. Mashed Potato Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ...in which you have a hyper 7 year old niece named Lily that Barba has to babysit.
> 
>  
> 
> [If you don't know the Mashed Potato dance/song, I recommend looking up both. Its such a catchy little dance! :)]

Saturdays were the best- _usually_. You didn't have to worry about work, about suspects, about anything, really. It was the day you could spend watching movies and doing nails with your niece, whom you had custody over. 

Your colleague stopped by to visit as you two were good friends. Rafael had met Lily a couple of times before, but he wasn't exactly drawn to children and children weren't exactly drawn to him. You had seen him with Noah once. Olivia asked him to hold her baby boy and Rafael looked like he shat his pants. It was funny, but you knew better than to tease him. He just wasn't used to being around kids.

The two of you were chatting away about politics while Lily watched TV in the living room when your phone rang. You held up a finger indicating him to give you a minute as you set down your drink and walked into the hall.

"Hello?"

_"Y/N, there was a major break in the Greene case. Video evidence has surfaced and we need you to come to the station and assess."_

"What? Now?"

" _Yes, now! We can't hold him forever_!"

You sigh, biting your lip and looking at Rafael who was scrolling on his phone.

"Alright, be there soon. Don't question the suspect until I am there," you said and hung up.

Rafael looked up from his phone and smiled.

"What's up?"

"Listen, you know the solo case I've been working on? The Greene case?"

He nodded, urging you to continue.

"Well, there was a break in the case and I need to go down to the squadroom. Like, now."

He blinked, not understanding the problem.

"The thing is, Lily's usual babysitter is on vacation and my neighbor, Mrs. Nevins, is ill and there's no one else to watch her." 

Panic crossed his face as he knew what she was going to ask.

"Y/N, I don't know if that's a-"

"Please? She'll be good, and I won't be gone long, I promise. She doesn't bite," you joked and he sighed.

"Fine, I'll watch her while you're gone. But you owe me."

"Deal," you smiled, grabbing your purse and walking over to your niece who was engrossed in spongebob. Rafael followed.

"Lily, honey," you say, getting her attention, "Auntie has to go to the police station so Mr. Barba is gonna watch you while I'm gone. You know the rules, and you behave for him, you hear?"

The little girl nodded sweetly and said an 'I love you' before turning her attention back to the screen. You kissed her head, thanked Rafael again, and left. 

\----

It had only been about 20 minutes since you left and thankfully, Lily's attention was still on the annoying talking sponge. Rafael was sitting on the couch reading something on his phone when the credits started rolling on the screen. Lily turned to stare at Rafael.

At first, he thought she was looking at something else, something behind him, maybe. But then he looked up and met her eyes.

She was definitely staring at him. He tried to ignore her but he was starting to feel uncomfortable. For such a small child she held such a hard gaze.

"What?" He asked.

" _Are you scared of kids, Mr. Barba_?"

He scoffed. "Of course not."

She looked unconvinced. " _You looked like you were going to faint when Auntie asked you to watch me."_

"I'm not scared of kids, I'm just not good with them I guess." She nodded, then changed the subject.

" _What's your first name, Mr. Barba?_ " 

He set his phone aside and peered at the child sitting on the floor. "Rafael."

She smiled and moved to sit next to him on the couch, causing him to shift nervously like the child had cooties.

" _That's a cool name. Can I call you Rafunzel?_ "

He cocked his head to the side, "um...no?"

" _Can I call you Raffy Taffy_?"

"No."

" _Raffy Duck_?"

"No."

" _Barbie?_ "

"No." 

" _Barbados_?"

"No."

" _Barbara_?"

"No."

" _Boobah_?"

"What? No," he chuckled.

" _What about Rafí_?" She asked, looking up at him with big brown eyes. He did not want to deny the girl anymore nicknames because it seemed that she had an endless supply. Besides, Rafí was better than Boobah.

"Fine." She grinned wider and grabbed the remote turning it to Big Hero 6.

" _Rafí, can I have a juice_?"

He stood up, "Yeah, where are they at?"

"In the fridge."

He walked over to the fridge and scanned its contents. He found two different boxes of juice pouches.

"What flavor," he called back to her, "theres Grape and Strawberry Kiwi."

She hummed tapping her chin thinking hard about what she wanted, settling with Grape.

He handed her her juice and took back his spot on the couch. She multitasked picking out a new movie to watch and putting her straw in the juice pouch, but the pouch was being finicky, so she wordlessly handed it off to Rafael for him to deal with. 

He struggled with the juice pouch, mumbling how he was going to write a strongly worded letter to the company about how it was impossible to push the straw in.

It finally went in, but Rafael squeezed the pouch on accident simultaneously, causing the grape juice to spray all over his face and shirt.

Lily gaped at him for a moment, then started laughing loudly.

A large purple stain was on his previously crisp white button down and juice was dripping from his nose. "Its not funny."

She laughed louder and doubled over when Rafael's phone began buzzing. It was from you.

_This is taking longer than expected. Technicalities in play, might be a few hours. Sorry, will make it up to you! X_

He sighed heavily reading the text, juice still dripping.

"Greaaat."

\-----

Lily had gotten him a clean towel to dry himself off with and they watched a couple of animated movies. 

Lily insisted on them watching Big Hero 6, claiming Rafael would most definitely cry. He was adamant that he wouldnt, but he would never admit that Bamax's goodbye almost got him. Lily had moved closer to the man, and jumped slightly during the scary or intense parts of the movie. It was endearing, Rafael thought. Maybe kids weren't so bad.

After the movie was over, he began to scroll through Netflix, listing off movies and TV shows Lily might want to watch. 

She perked up at one of the titles.

" _Can we watch Troop Beverly Hills? I used to watch that with my gamgam!_ "

He tried not to smile at the cute name for her grandmother, instead nodding and starting the movie. It was made in the 80s, but he had never seen it. 

\----

It was about halfway through the movie, and Rafael was pleasantly surprised that the  movie wasnt horrible. It was the scene where Phyllis was teaching the girls how to dance.

Lily got up and did the dance with the girls on screen.

"I've always wondered how to do the Mashed Potatoes," he pondered outloud and Lily turned to look at him stunned.

 _"You don't know how to do the Mashed Potatoes_??" She asked in awe, and he shook his head with a smile at her outrage. She paused the movie and turned back to him.

" _Stand up_."

His smile faded. "No."

" _Stand up, I'm gonna teach you how to do the dance_ ," she said, walking to the desktop computer and youtubing Mashed Potato Time by Dee Dee Sharp. Music began to play.

"No, its OK, I don't dance-"

She grabbed his hands and pulled, " _C'mon, Rafí!_ " He got to his feet and swallowed nervously, not hearing the buzzing of his phone - a text from you saying you were on your way home now.

" _OK_ ," she started, " _put your feet like this_." She turned her heels together and pointed her toes outward and Rafael stubbornly crossed his arms and sighed.

Lily wouldn't tear her gaze from him and it caused him to buckle. "Fine!" He said defeated, and turned his feet in like Lily's.

" _Good, now, point your toes together and your heels go out, like how it was before just opposite._ "

Rafael could not believe he was here. On a Saturday. Babysitting a child. Learning how to _dance_. 

He did as told and Lily smiled.

" _Good job! Now, repeat what you just did, except when you turn your toes in, lift one leg up. But keep your feet turned in,_ " she instructed, showing him what she meant and he nodded.

"Like this?" He asked unsure, but doing the moves correctly.

 _"Exactly, just keep doin' it and switch legs each time you bring your foot down_." 

They practiced, but unbeknownst to them, you were in the process of unlocking the door. You heard music and opened the door. You had to stifle a laugh.

"OK, wow, I'm actually doing it." Rafael said in disbelief as he and Lily perfectly did the Mashed Potato dance. 

 _"It only took you a thousand tries_ ," Lily teased and Rafael scoffed, dancing around her.

"I am the greatest dancer alive."

"Are you now?" You asked from the doorway, startling the two.

Rafael jumped and put a hand over his heart, then quickly tried to mask his shock with nonchalance. "I am."

" _He is,_ " Lily agreed sarcastically and he rolled his eyes playfully.

"Lily, I can do this dance better than you can and you taught me. I can do this dance better than Michael Jackson," Rafael joked.

You laughed, "Well, ' _better-than-Michael Jackson',_ when you two are done slaying my existence with your dance skills, I brought dinner."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for not updating, midterms have been hectic! I'm working on finishing my other story and I might take your advice and turn my last chapter into its own series! Thanks again for reading!


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